The invention concerns a lock cylinder with a lock cylinder housing, in which a knob shaft, rotatable by means of a knob, is mounted to rotate on one side or both sides, and with at least one electromechanically operating coupling device, which is connected to rotate in unison with the knob shaft based on a authorization signal of a lock element and/or releases the knob shaft, in order to operate a lock, said connection signal being generated by an evaluation electronics based on an input or input signal. As an alternative, the lock element of the lock cylinder can be operated on one side or both sides by a lock core, rotatable by means of a key. The invention also concerns a lock cylinder that can be operated on one side with a knob and on the other side with a key.
The lock cylinder, operable on one side, can be designed as a half-cylinder. In a lock cylinder operable on both sides a lock core or knob shaft can be connected or connectable purely mechanically always to the lock element. A purely mechanically operating knob with an electromechanical operating lock core can then be combined in a lock cylinder and vice versa.
Such lock cylinders are generally known. A frequent arrangement is that the input signal is recorded by means of an antenna, which excites a transponder in a key, a chip or a similar token, worn by the person granted access. The received input signal contains the access code, which is evaluated by the evaluation electronics. In the case of access authorization, an authorization signal is generated, which drives an electromechanical coupling device. The coupling device causes rotation-free connection between the lock element, for example, the lock tab, and the knob or key, or releases the knob shaft or the lock core. Activation of the lock or a switch or the like is then possible with the lock cylinder.
DE 199 30 054 A1 describes an electromechanical lock cylinder, which can be operated on one side with a key and on the other side with a knob. The specific arrangement is such that the key carries a transponder, whose signal is received via an antenna on the lock cylinder housing and evaluated by evaluation electronics in the knob. DE 198 51 308 C2 discloses a lock cylinder that can be operated on both sides by a knob. The evaluation electronics and the antenna to receive a signal transmitted in wireless fashion are arranged in the knob on the inside of the door. It is known from EP 1 256 671 A2 to arrange the evaluation electronics in a rosette.
A common feature of all known variants of electromechanical lock cylinders is that the evaluation electronics, the antenna and the coupling device, in particular, form a unit with respect to data flow and the signals being transmitted, which cannot be separated from each other. This means that for different reading systems or recording systems or different data transmission techniques between the token and lock cylinder with different cylinders and/or frequencies and/or ranges, a complete lock cylinder with evaluation electronics adapted to the recording system must always be produced and kept on hand. The same applies for other types of input, for example, the provision of a biometric sensor, a keypad or simple pushbutton in internal knobs. Here again, depending on the choice of the desired operating release, a complete lock cylinder with correspondingly adapted evaluation electronics must be kept on hand. If the technology for input or recording of the access code changes, the evaluation electronics must be adapted to it. It is obvious that high production, development and storage costs are required for this.